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Thursday, September 7, 2017

This post has been a loooong time coming. If you follow me over on Instagram, you know I've been saying for weeks now that I'd take some pics of our new kitchen. Well here they are finally.

We moved into our new house on December 27, 2016 and knew right away (actually before we even moved in) that we'd be replacing the kitchen and lots of other cosmetic things. We actually started saving right away for this kitchen so we wouldn't go into debt on it at all. I'll include some real estate pictures of our house when we looked at it back last year and you can see the changes that we've made so far. So without further ado, here's some before and afters for ya.

Befores

I wanted to improve the layout and make the best use of space possible. So we swapped placement of the fridge to allow for larger counter space to the left of the sink area. By moving the oven down just a bit, we were able to place the fridge near it and more in the "triangle work area."

Afters

I ended up finding a slide-in range on Craigslist that I really like, thus eliminating the overhead microwave action that was going on before. Our new kitchen actually doesn't have a microwave in it. We really don't use microwaves all that much, honestly. I would typically soften my butter in there and that's about it. Plus I reeeeaaaalllly wanted a custom hood with a vent. Our old kitchen didn't have a vent so that was a pretty big deal for me. I want to cook without setting the smoke detectors off, dang it! The exposed barnwood is just the right touch of rustic in here...I love it.

Another way to add more storage in our new kitchen is simply by taking the cabinets all the way up to the ceiling. It maximizes all that space plus I think it just looks a whole lot better. It's a custom look for sure.

Cabinet colors are Benjamin Moore Fieldstone and Dark Olive.

A simple planked backsplash ties everything together.

We hired the same cabinetmaker we had in our old house. We love Adin and Adin! (Father/son team)

Now I have this butter crock so no more softening the butter in the mic for me! ;)

I did the same design as our old kitchen--shaker style doors and the two that flank the window, with glass panes. It helps break up the cabinetry a bit.

We chose a leather finish on the perimeter granite and a white quartzite island top. I wanted contrasting colors and textures and I think it worked out well.

One of the biggest changes is here in our pantry area. Sorry I have no befores here but there were bifold doors on the pantry with wire shelving. Not the easiest thing to get into and store things properly. One thing that really gets under my skin is an area that isn't well thought out (like closets and pantries). Give me a well organized space and I'm a happy camper.

Now everything has a place and I now love opening my pantry doors!

We added a little drop-zone to the left of the pantry. This was just empty space before. Our dog's dishes are on the floor under that "desk area" so that works out well--it's out of the way.

One more before/after...

So there ya have it--finally! If you have any questions, let me know in the comments. Hope you enjoyed the little tour of our kitchen. Please follow along on Instagram to stay up-to-date on our fixings-up!

Friday, November 18, 2016

Well hello there! How you guys been?? Long time no see!! I have some news.

Once upon a time, approximately four years ago, Bryce flushed a Thomas train down our (then) one and only toilet. Instead of replacing said toilet, I said to Mitch that we should just redo the entire bathroom. How hard could it be, right? Well...four years later...

...and the boys' bathroom is finally done. Woo hoo! This is what DIY looks like these days--as you can see, the projects have been fewer and further between. And believe it or not, this particular project is complete just in time for us to move. Those who follow MLST on Facebook or Instagram have gotten the news. For the rest of you, yes, it's true. We're moving! (enter shocked face emoji) We're still trying to wrap our brains around that one, but let's just focus on this completed bathroom right now or else there may be some tears. So, behold: the boys' bathroom! Gah...I love it.

Some things have changed, but you can see that overall, it remained kinda-sorta the same(ish). Seriously, my mind is allowed to change over the period of four years, okay?! If we were staying here, we would have added a barn style door as the main door, but since we're leaving, I'm saving my door for the next house! I ended up painting the door my go-to color: Benjamin Moore Dragon's Breath. Seriously can't get enough of this dark gray color. It makes any door look awesome, even a cheap hollow-core one.

I love how this bathroom goes with the rest of the house. We incorporated many of the same details in here (like the subway tile) and kept the walls fresh and clean with white paint. But I wanted to mix it up a little bit, so we went with board and batten walls. It brings enough interest to the bathroom walls without being too "different" if you know what I mean. Everything just flows in our house now.

Mitch, my tiling ninja, made my shower dreams come true. I seriously LOVE this shower. Since he's finished (over 2 weeks ago), I haven't taken a shower in our bathroom. This bathroom is so bright and cheery...definitely gonna miss this puppy when we move.

Here's the IKEA vanity base that we scored on Craigslist for $30. Mitch had to drive to Maryland to pick it up, but it was worth it, dang it. It's the old style base (the new ones have 4 drawers) but the current vanity top which we got at IKEA fits on it perfectly. I thought I wanted different faucets, but when we saw these at IKEA, we snagged them. The one handle is perfect for the boys.

The sconces are also from IKEA, as are the mirrors. I was afraid that this bathroom would scream IKEA, but in the end, I think there are enough of other features that balance out the big-box store feel.

And one of those big features is the ceiling. Pine boards. You know we have a thing for ceilings. So it was a no-brainer that we'd do something unique in here. We decided to keep it natural, and are going to protect the wood with my DIY board butter.

We were able to make a tiny linen closet in here. Mitch took the leftover cedar wood from Finn's closet and lined this closet with it.

So, that's what we've been up to the past four years...ha! But now it's on to new adventures in a new house.

In between blog posts, you can follow MLST on Instagram or Facebook. Stay tuned for updates!

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Well hello there! It's been a while, eh? Just thought I'd share with you guys (those who don't already know thanks to FB or Instagram) that we've added a furry friend to our family. Say hello to Penny!

I had been looking for a while for a dog on a few adoption websites. I knew we wanted something similar to our former dog, Buttons, who was a cockapoo. Something on the smaller side to fit in our small house. :)

So after looking on allpaws.com for a rescue dog but coming up short, I decided to jump on Craigslist and search. Craigs has come through for us on countless occasions, so I figured I'd give it a shot. Wouldn't ya know that when I typed in the word cockapoo, among a couple other entries, there was a picture of Penny (known then as Tiny). It was just meant to be. We drove down outside of Philly to pick her up. And she was ours. The boys took to her right away as did she to our family.

Her former owners didn't have time for her anymore. They lived in a one bedroom apartment so space was at a premium. Plus, I'm sure they both worked full time (I'm assuming) so they just didn't have the time or energy to give her. When I initially inquired about Penny, the owner said that "she is very hyper and loving." I think the "hyper" part was because they didn't see her often, so when they came home, she was very excited to see them. She definitely is not a hyper dog. Look at that sweet face...

We picked her up on a Tues evening and on Thurs, she was at the vet getting her shots and a fresh haircut. She needed one badly, as her fur was quite matted.

Penny has been a great addition to our family. Ryder takes her for walks every morning and the other two love giving her treats and taking her for walks as well. I made up some homemade treats that she absolutely loves. They're made with coconut oil, peanut butter, and cinnamon.

Coconut oil is great for dogs. For the recipe of these dog treats, check out my post over on Golden Barrel's blog. They're super simple to make and your furry friend will love them too!

So that's what's new at the Hertzler house. What have you guys been up to lately??

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

The other day on Facebook, I posted a picture of this adorable momma-to-be, Becca and her hound dog, Daisy...

The picture was to whet your appetite to see more of her baby's nursery. Well baby Hunter hasn't made his appearance just yet (less than a week left!), but it is time to show you his nursery. Becca and her husband, Phil, go to our church and when I saw some pictures of Hunter's nursery posted on Facebook, I asked Becca if I could sneak in a few pics myself to show you guys. I know you'll love this sweet, rustic space as much as I do. This nursery is filled with many DIY/repurposed items and you know how much I love that. So let's jump right in! Welcome to baby Hunter's nursery.

This art was made from driftwood pulled out of the river where Becca grew up. She added the trinkets that she picked up here and there. The antlers are from a buck that Phil got. And Becca DIY'd the cute burlap bunting.

When you walk in the room, to your left is a gorgeous rough-cut tongue and groove pine wood wall that is stained to really bring out the warmth of the wood. I just love the contrast between the dark, rough wood and the rest of the smooth, drywalled light-colored walls. (wall color is Sherwin Williams Sedate Gray--an ever so slight green/gray color) The walls are a perfect mix of both rustic and modern.

One of the things I love about this room (and really, their entire house) is that Becca and Phil did a lot of DIY projects in here. Of course whenever I see a DIY done right, it makes my heart swell. Becca is a big furniture refinisher. She finds "treasures" abandoned alongside the road or thrown in the trash, and converts them into true treasures--pieces that are just stunning and are full of history and stories. Let me show you some of those pieces...

Here's Hunter's changing table, before and after. She removed the double doors to allow for a wire hamper basket underneath. Fresh and updated, right?

Now their home is filled with gorgeous furniture that she fixed up herself. Awesome, right?

Let's talk about this crib for a sec...

Phil was planning on building Hunter's crib, but there's something about having a full-time job that didn't allow for it. Ha. But thankfully Phil has some connections and this beast was built by a friend. Isn't it a showstopper?

Another refinished piece by Becca...

This book was given as a gift at Becca's baby shower. Phil and Becca nicknamed the baby "Huck" before they knew its gender. I'm secretly hoping the nickname sticks so Huck and my Finn can be buds. Well, I guess they can still be buds even if that's not his nickname... ;)

This barrel used to store firewood at Phil's parents' home...now it's a cute side table.

This Holy Shed Antler Cross is based on antlers that were found on a buck--shaped in a unusual way--in the form of a cross. This is a reproduction that was given to Phil and Becca from Becca's parents and is a wonderful addition to baby Hunter's nursery.

This little teddy was something that Becca had when she was little. She simply added a scrap piece of her favorite buffalo check material and Viola! It's fit for a boy's room.

On the other side of the room is another showstopper. A contractor friend made this barn style door for the closet. Again, made with pine boards and stained the same color, it really is a wonderful rustic accent in this room.

Inside of closet, in case you need inspiration. Becca bought the adjustable shelves/racks at Lowe's. They were cut to size there and can be adjusted however you want. So as baby Hunter grows, this closet can adjust to his needs (which, I'm guessing, will probably include some hunting equipment down the road...)

The glider chair is from Babies R Us and was a gift from Becca's parents. (pillow from Etsy)

And if you peek out that window right beside the glider, this is the view you'll take in...woodsy and rustic, just like Hunter's room. :)

Becca bought a lamp kit and made this fun lamp from an old bottle that was found on her parents' property. Again, something else with a story. Little Hunter will be surrounded with items that have meaning behind them. Love that.

Daisy was a champ and only barked at this stranger (me) a couple dozen times. Ha! She was ready to get back to lounging...

Hope you guys enjoyed the tour! Thanks to Becca, Phil, and Daisy for having me over. Can't wait to see that sweet boy very soon.

I'd love for you to follow MLST on Facebook or Instagram to stay up to date on our projects!

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Hey! I'm Kat

Married to a sexy beast of a man (Mitch), mom to three sweet (and sometimes obnoxious) boys, and a so-so housewife who is totally NOT a neat freak. We're slowly transforming our little white rancher into the home of our dreams in Lancaster County, PA. This is where we spill the beans on all our renovations, thrifty finds, and some finger-lickin' good recipes with a bunch of random stuff in between. Welcome! Hope you stick around for a while.